Sand Cat 1 Sand Cat

Big Cat Rescue Sand Cat 1 Sand Cat

Common Name: Sand Cat Family: Felidae Kingdom: Animalia Genus: Felinae (Felis) Phylum: Chordata (Vertebrata) Species: margarita Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora

1 2 Subspecies

F.m margarita – The Sahara F.m. thinobia – Turkestan F.m. scheﬀeli – Pakistan F.m. harrisoni – Arabia, Jordan (Pictured on both pages)

2 3 Overview

This is one of the more difficult cats to study in the wild. Their foot coverings allow them to walk on sand without sinking, leaving their footprints nearly invisible. They have learned to crouch down and shut their eyes when a light is shone on them, which prevents the light from reflecting their eyes for tracking. That combined with their protective coat color makes them blend right into their habitat. They also bury all of their excrement making it impossible to find and analyze so their diet can be studied.

3 4 Life Span

In captivity, they have lived up to 13 years, but have a high juvenile mortality rate (41%). The life expectancy of sand cats in the wild has not been documented. Of 228 sand cats born in zoos globally to the year 2007, only 61% lived to day 30. They died primarily due to maternal neglect by ﬁrst-time mothers.

4 5 Size and Appearance

Size: Sand Cats weigh in at 4-8 pounds and reach overall lengths of 29-36 inches, and heights of 10-12 inches. The Sand cat is a small, stocky cat with short legs. Its head and body length ranges from 39 to 52 cm (15 to 20 in), with a 23.2 to 31 cm (9.1 to 12 in) long tail.

5 Appearance – Coat Coloration: It has a dense soft fur that is a pale sand or gray color above and paler underneath. It has large ears and a broad head, and a reddish streak that runs from its eyes across its cheeks. The ears are reddish-brown and black-tipped. There are faint stripes running down the ﬂanks and black bands running around the tops of the front legs. The Sand cat’s winter coat is very thick and can be as long as two inches.

Appearance – Tail: The tail has 2-3 black rings towards its black tip. The Sand cat’s tail is relatively long at about nine to twelve inches.

Appearance – Paws: The bottom of Sand Cats’ paws are covered with a thick layer of wiry black hair, which insulates the footpads against extremes of heat and cold, and allows for easier movement through the sand. It is interesting to note that the hair between their toes also helps insulate the paws from the hot sand.

Appearance – Claws: They are proliﬁc diggers, and their claws are not very sharp for lack of places to sharpen them in the desert. The claws on the back paws are short and blunt. Whenever tracks are found you can sometimes see imprints of the claws in the paw print.

Appearance – Eyes: The Sand cat’s eyes are large, greenish yellow eyes that have a white ring of fur

6 around them.

Appearance – Nose: The naked tip of the nose is black.

Appearance Head and Ears: The auditory bullae and the passages from the external ears to the ear drums are greatly enlarged relative to other small felids. The head is broad. The pinna of the ears is triangular, and the ear canal is very wide, giving the cat an enhanced sense of hearing. The ears are large and more pointed than in the manul. They are set low, giving a broad ﬂat appearance to the head.[ This trait may protect the inner ears from wind-blown sand and aid detection of movements of subterranean prey.

A highly developed hearing capacity is important for locating prey, which is not only sparsely distributed in arid environments, but also found underground.

7 6 Habitat

Sandy and stony deserts. The sand cat (Felis margarita), also known as the sand dune cat, is the only felid found primarily in true desert environments. Sand cats live in both sandy deserts and Stony deserts. They live in areas that are located far away from water sources.

They prefer ﬂat terrain with sparse vegetation, avoiding bare sand dunes, where there is relatively little food. They can survive in temperatures ranging from −5 °C (23 °F) to 52 °C (126 °F), retreating into burrows during extreme conditions.

8 7 Distribution

From the Sahara through the Middle East to Turkestan. It is found in widely separated areas through the deserts of northern Africa and southwest and central Asia.

9 In North Africa, sand cats occur marginally in western Morocco, including former Sahara Occidental, Algeria, and from the Sinai Peninsula to the rocky deserts of eastern Egypt. Sightings have been reported from Tunisia, Libya, Mali and Niger. In Mauritania, they are supposed to occur in the Adrar Mountains and Majabat al Koubra. Spoor have been found in Senegal, Chad, and Sudan. In 2000 and 2001, sand cats were sighted and camera trapped in a protected area near Palmyra in Syria.

In central Asia, sand cats occur east of the Caspian sea throughout the Karakum Desert from the Ustyurt Plateau in the northwest to the Kopet Dag Mountains in the south extending through the Kyzylkum Desert to the Syr Darya River and the northern border to Afghanistan.

10 8 Reproduction & Offspring

Oestrus in sand cats lasts from ﬁve to six days, and is accompanied by calling and increased scent marking. These cats have been reported to have 2 litters per year in parts of their territory in both March-April, and again in October. Gestation is 59-63 days, after which females produce a litter of 2-4 kittens. At birth, the newborns weigh approximately 1.5-2 ounces with spotted pale yellow or reddish fur. The kittens gain about 12 grams per day. Their eyes will normally be open by the 14th day, and they will begin to walk by the 21st day. They reach three quarters of the adult size within

11 ﬁve months of birth. They begin to take solid food at 5 weeks and become independent by 3-4 months. They reach sexual maturity around 10-12 months.

12 9 Behavior Social System Behavior and Communication: Sand cats live solitary lives outside of the mating season.

Because their populations are so few, they have a loud mating call, which resembles the barking of a small dog. Their other vocalizations include meowing, growling, hissing, spitting, screaming and purring. Hear our purrs, hisses, snarls, calls, and growl sounds HERE --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHZm52nvBB4

Ecology and Behavior: They communicate using scent and claw marks on objects in their range, and by urine spraying. They do not leave their feces in exposed locations as many other felids do. They make vocalizations similar to domestic cats, but also make loud, high-pitched barking sounds, especially when seeking a mate. Hearing plays an important role in intraspeciﬁc communication: sand cats make a short, rasping bark in connection with mating activity.

They inhabit burrows and use either abandoned fox or porcupine burrows, or enlarge those dug by gerbils or other rodents. The burrow is about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) deep and dug in slightly slanting ground with a single entrance, but also two or three were observed. In winter, they stay in the sun during the day, but during the hot season, they are crepuscular and nocturnal.

Their way of moving is distinct: with belly to the ground, they move at a fast run punctuated with occasional leaps. They are capable of sudden bursts of speed and can sprint at speeds of 30 to 40 km (19 to 25 mi) per hour. They have been recorded to move long distances of 5–10 km (3.1–6.2 mi) in a single night, and a radio telemetry study in Israel suggests large home ranges, with one male using an area of 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi). They were active generally throughout the night, hunting and travelling an average of 5.4 km (3.4 mi). Before retiring below ground at dawn, the same lookout position was adopted at the mouth of the burrow. Burrows were used interchangeably by diﬀerent cats, and the animals did not change burrows during the day.

14 10 Hunting & Diet Primarily nocturnal, they hunt by digging. Their highly developed hearing allows the Sand cat to locate prey which is not only sparsely distributed, but underground as well.

Their primary diet consists of 3 species of gerbils. It also includes birds, reptiles and arthropods. They are also known for being snake hunters, which they kill with a rapid blow to the head that stuns, and then administer the death bite to the neck. Sand Cats will also cover large kills with sand and return later to feed.

Although they will drink when water is available, they are able to survive for months on the water in their food.

Small rodents are their primary prey, with records from Africa including spiny mice, jirds, gerbils, jerboas, and young of cape hare. They have also been observed to hunt small birds like Greater Hoopoe Lark, Desert Lark, and consume reptiles such as Desert Monitor, Fringe-toed lizards, sandﬁsh, short-ﬁngered gecko, horned and sand vipers, and insects.

They are capable of satisfying their moisture requirements from their prey, but drink readily if it is available.

They can dig rapidly to extract their prey from the ground, and bury prey remains in the sand for later consumption

16 11 Threats

This is one of the only cats that doesn’t face habitat degradation with its preferred habitat being the desert.

Because the religious belief about this cat is that it was the companion of the Prophet Mohammed, they are not hunted as livestock raiders when they kill chickens.

Sadly, this little cat still faces the threat of being collected for the pet trade, or for being hunted for sport while they are laying out sunning themselves.

It is unknown at this time to what extent, if any, the ﬁres and bombs of the Gulf War aﬀected the Sand Cat population.

17 They also may be killed in traps laid out by inhabitants of oases targeting foxes and jackals or in retaliation for killing their chickens. There are occasional reports of animals shot in south-east Arabia.

Localized threats include the introduction of feral and domestic dogs and cats, creating direct competition and through predation and disease transmission.

18 12 Status

Appendix II (except F.m. scheffeli which is on Appendix I). IUCN: Insufficiently known (F.m. scheffeli is classified Endangered). Since 2002 this small cat has been listed as Near Threatened by IUCN due to concern over potential low population size and decline. Near Threatened (NT) is a conservation status assigned to species that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status?

19 13 Felid Tag

Sand cat (Felis margarita). Sand cats have a long history of living in North American zoos, but have been poorly managed. Two populations exist, one that is hybridized and another derived from an Israeli population. The TAG recommends an SSP with a target population of 80 individuals, all to consist of F. m. harrisoni, the race from the Arabian peninsula. The American SSP and European EEP have joined forces in their breeding plans as neither continent has enough diversity to sustain their populations.

20 14 Conservation

Hunting is prohibited in Algeria, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan and Tunisia. No legal protection exists in Egypt, Mali, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo started a sand cat reintroduction project in Israel's Arava Desert. Several captive-born individuals from the zoo's population were kept in an acclimatization enclosure, but did not survive subsequent release into the wild.

21 15 In Captivity

Captive sand cats are highly sensitive to respiratory diseases and infection of the upper respiratory tract. This is the main cause of death in adults. The most common disease is infectious rhinotracheitis. With sand cats being very susceptible to respiratory infections, they have to be kept in very arid enclosures where humidity and temperature do not ﬂuctuate.

As of July 2009, the global captive population comprised 200 individuals in 45 institutions. As of May 2010, 29 sand cats were kept in 12 Association of Zoos and Aquariums- accredited institutions participating in the Species Survival Plan. In January 2010, the Al Ain Zoo announced the ﬁrst-ever captive birth of two sand cat kittens following in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer procedure at its facilities. In July 2012, four sand cat kittens were born at the Ramat Gan Zoo as part of the European Endangered Species Programme.

22 16 How Rare?

How rare is this cat?

The International Species Information Service lists 116 worldwide, with 36 being in the U.S.

23 17 Canyon DOB 7/27/00 Arrived at BCR 10/23/00

Pat Quillen of S.O.S. Care sent five Sand Cats to Big Cat Rescue on October 23, 2000. They were born to Pebbles and Papoose who were the offspring of wild caught Sand Cats sent here during Desert Storm for their protection. Most of the known origin Sand Cats in the U.S. are from these imported Founders who produced well at S.O.S. Care. They have been sent here as genetic back up and will not be bred at Big Cat Rescue unless their offspring with cats unrelated to this group can be returned to the wild. We will not breed for life in cages.

Sand cats are small desert dwelling cats native to northern Africa and the Middle East. They are frequent victims of the illegal pet trade and during the Gulf War their livelihood and habitats were greatly aﬀected. In an eﬀort to preserve the species, the Saudi government sent eight of these cats to S.O.S. Care, a California-based international cat- conservation organization. Canyon and four littermates, descendants of the original group, were sent to Big Cat Rescue as a genetic back-up in case of disaster at S.O.S. Care.

Canyon has a very tall Cat.a.tat that encloses a tree in the center. He loves to climb and spend time in his tree, so keepers placed a den barrel high up in its branches. Canyon can almost always be found sleeping in this secluded space. For a long time Canyon lived across the pathway from Cameron the lion, however, he did not seem intimidated by his large neighbor. He currently lives next door to Tonga, the white serval. What he lacks in

25 size he makes up for with boldness. Canyon also loves feeding time and this super tiny cat is a real spitﬁre when food is involved. When he hears the feeding carts approaching his area he sparks to life and rushes into his feeding lockout to await his meal.

Sand Cats have very sensitive digestive tracts and in the wild would eat prey like lizards and gerbils which have very small ﬂexible bones. Since these little cats would not be able to digest the larger bones in the chicken, that all of the other cats at the sanctuary get, the closest and most economical food source are baby chicks. These arrive frozen from a wholesaler and are thawed before they are given to the Sand Cats. The Sand Cats are also fed a special blended ground diet that has organ meat and vitamins.

26 18 Genie DOB 7/27/00

Arrived at Big Cat Rescue 10/23/00

Genie lives in a large enclosure with thick foliage. She is quite shy and the plants in her Cat.a.tat provide lots of spaces for her to conceal herself.

Genie also loves to sleep inside her elevated dens, which are merely window ﬂower boxes, that are hung on the walls of her enclosure. Keepers can tell when she is in one of these dens because her tail will be peeking out over the top of the pot.

Sponsor Canyon or Genie http://www.bigcatrescue.biz/servlet/the-1167/Sand-Cat- Sponsorship/Detail

28 19 Photos 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 20 Big Cat Rescue Big Cat Rescue is the largest accredited sanctuary in the world dedicated entirely to abused and abandoned big cats. We are home to over 100 lions, tigers, bobcats, cougars and other species most of whom have been abandoned, abused, orphaned, saved from being turned into fur coats, or retired from performing acts. Our dual mission is to provide the best home we can for the cats in our care and educate the public about the plight of these majestic animals, both in captivity and in the wild, to end abuse and avoid extinction.

• Big Cat Rescue is the largest accredited sanctuary in the world dedicated entirely to abused and abandoned big cats.

• The sanctuary began rescuing exotic cats in Nov. 4, 1992.

• The non profit 501c3 sanctuary is home to more than 100 exotic big cats

• The cats at Big Cat Rescue are here for a variety of reasons, including:

• Abandoned by owners who wrongly thought they would make good pets

• Abused by owners in order to force them to perform

• Retired from performing acts

• Saved from being slaughtered to make fur coats

• Rescued as babies after hunters killed their mothers. See our Bobcat Rehab and Release work

• Big Cat Rescue has 14 species of cats, many of whom are threatened, endangered or extinct now in the wild, including:

• Tigers, Lions, Leopards, Cougars

• Bobcats, Lynx, Servals, Ocelots, Caracals, Jungle Cats, Leopard Cats, Sand Cats, and a Geoffroy Cat

54 • Big Cat Rescue’s dual mission is to provide the best home we can for the cats in our care and educate the public about the plight of these majestic animals, both in captivity and in the wild, to end abuse and avoid extinction.

The non-profit organization is:

• Accredited by the Global Federation of Sanctuaries

• Certified by Independent Charities of America as a “Best in America Charity”

• Member of the World Society for Protection of Animals

• Rated 4 Stars by Charity Navigator (their highest rating) and has one of the highest scores of any animal based charity

• The sanctuary is situated on 55 acres in the Citrus Park area of north Tampa. www.BigCatRescue.org